


In Bloom

by meowvelous



Series: Mundane Magical Gays [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Hanahaki Disease, Magical Realism, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Present Tense, Unrequited Love, Vomiting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-22
Updated: 2019-06-22
Packaged: 2020-05-16 06:36:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19312645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meowvelous/pseuds/meowvelous
Summary: Everyone’s dying; they’re just dying faster than everyone else, choking on flower petals.





	In Bloom

**Author's Note:**

> Additional Tags: Magical Illness, Mundane AU - No Magic/Werewolves, Gay Gay Gay, (Jess is still bi dw), brief mention of an unhealthy relationship.
> 
> I found out about this trope recently and wanted to have some fun with it. I especially tried to make it as weird and gross as possible. Jess and Lily are a bit more jaded here, considering the circumstances. Their ages are also a lot closer together than they are in ‘canon’. I took some liberties with established fanon for Hanahaki Disease cos this is my story and I’ll do what I want to.
> 
> Definition of the disease is from the Fan Lore entry on it, modified by me for the story.

_Hanahaki Disease is a disease in which the victim coughs up flowers and petals when they suffer from one-sided love. The petals come from flowers which take root and grow in the lungs, until airflow is cut off. A visual symptom of the illness is faint flower images on the skin. The life expectancy for a victim of the disease is 18 to 21 years. It ends when the beloved returns their feelings (romantic love only; strong friendship is not enough), or when the victim dies. It can switch focus if the victim falls in love with someone else. It can be cured through surgical removal, but when the infection is removed, the victim's romantic feelings for their love also disappear._  
  
***  
  
Lily looks down at the pamphlet and back up at her dad. There’s a tickle in her throat; she turns to the side and spits out a petal. “Dad... how are we going to afford this?”  
  
He can’t meet her graze. Instead, he’s staring bleakly at the petal on the floor. “I’ve got some money tucked away... your mom and I always figured you’d use it, for, well...”  
  
And then it hits her. He’s going to use her college fund. On sending her to a place where she can die comfortably. For the first time it sinks in that she’s going to die, that the flowers in her throat are going to kill her, and Lily begins to sob.   
  
***  
  
Jess watches her family, all uncomfortable smiles, wave as they leave her. Her mom had offered to help unpack, but Jess is tired and just wants to be left alone.   
  
The walls are painted in the pastel hues of a sunset, with pastoral pictures on the walls. It feels like a cross between a spa and a hotel. Except for the discreet bucket in the corner, Jess could almost pretend she was here for a weekend trip.   
  
There’s that familiar tickle in her throat; she goes to grab the bucket. As her coughing fit finishes, Jess looks up to realize there’s a girl - about her age - standing in the doorway.   
  
“Oh, fun, someone new.” The girl’s voice is as flat as her expression, and then hardens. “If you make fun of my name, I’m going to kick your ass.” It’s an absurd statement, coming from someone half her height and weight.

Setting the bucket down, Jess laughs uncomfortably. “What the hell are you talking about?”

In response, the girl kicks her in the shin, hard, and then doubles over. She retches up a white lily. “I’m Lily,” the girl says, looking up with a hint of a sardonic smile. 

“Hey Romanov,” a lilting female voice calls from somewhere behind her, out in the hallway. “Already hitting on the newbie? That won’t save you, you know.”  
  
“Fuck off Megan; if you weren’t a loser you wouldn’t be here,” Lily yells back hoarsely, not missing a beat, seemingly unbothered by the taunt.  
  
Jess is stuck between the absurdity of the scene before her and the pain in her leg. “What the fuck,” she settles on.   
  
Lily grins approvingly. “Welcome to Purgatory, do you plan on staying long?”  
  
***  
  
They’re paired up during the group session the next day, because of course they are.   
  
“ _Describe your person. Seek to humanize them, and remember their flaws,_ ” Lily reads off the worksheet in a mocking voice. “Can you believe this shit?” There are splatters of bile on the collar of her shirt; Jess could hear her throwing up flowers before breakfast.   
  
“They’re trying to help, aren’t they?” Jess is tired. She never sleeps well in unfamiliar places, and the flowers seemed to be blooming particularly aggressively last night.   
  
Lily snorts, and then coughs out a petal. She picks it up and sets it at the bucket each table is provided with expressly for that purpose. “I’ve been here for almost three years. Sure as shit haven’t been helped.”  
  
Jess raises her eyebrows. “How old are you?”  
  
“Nineteen. You?”  
  
“Twenty,” Jess admits, something heavy sitting in the pit of her stomach. “That’s why I want to get better.” Because typically speaking, she only has a year left to live.   
  
Lily blinks. “Why not just get it removed then?”

There was a surgery, everyone knew that. The most reliable cure, in fact; remove the root and the disease is cured, the feelings disappearing with it.  Jess shakes her head. “I have an aunt who did that. She wasn’t the same afterward.”  
  
“Yeah, that’s what I’ve heard.”  
  
They sit in a heavy silence, broken up by the chatter of their peers around them.   
  
“So.” Lily says briskly, picking up a pencil. “Tell me about them. _Remember their flaws_ ,” her voice is still mocking for the last part.   
  
There’s a lump in her throat. Jess coughs but the feeling doesn’t dissipate. “He’s married to my favourite cousin. He makes her happy.” She rasps. “Why, What about you?” Jess feels defensive, vulnerable, and looks up at Lily, expecting to be mocked.   
  
Instead, the other girl is looking at her with sympathy, and something akin to understanding. Lily looks down at the worksheet, writing something down. “She’s straight. I’m not.”   
  
Jess feels like she’s been punched. “...Oh.” She can’t imagine. It's one thing to know her feelings will never be reciprocated, but there’s still that sliver of hope, of possibility. Lily doesn’t have that. Before Jess can say anything, bile rises in her throat, gag reflex triggered by a petal, and she starts vomiting lilacs.   
  
***  
  
They’re out walking in the garden, in surprisingly peaceful silence. There’s just greenery around them - nothing blooming - and the fresh air is a much needed change from perfume and flowers.   
  
“My first boyfriend became a stalker,” Jess finds herself blurting out. Lily watches her silently, head tilted in a question. “I was sixteen and had to get a restraining order. He was three years older than me. Then two years later, I had a girlfriend - Kate - and things were good until she dumped me. And then...” Then there was Him.   
  
“I haven’t dated anyone,” Lily admits. “I’m probably going to die a virgin,” her tone is frank, like it doesn’t bother her. Just a statement of fact. “So you’re...?”  
  
“Bi, yeah.” She crosses her arms defensively.    
  
Lily shrugs. “The other girls might give you shit. Gives them the illusion of power. I’m just jealous you’ve had a girlfriend.” She smiles crookedly. There’s a petal caught on her lip.   
  
***  
  
It’s visiting day. There’s no one there for Jess, because everyone’s busy. She knew this already - she’s got her phone as a lifeline to the outer world - but it still stings. She’s lying on her bed, feeling sorry for herself, when Lily walks by, tears running down her face.   
  
Without really thinking, Jess stands up and quickly moves to the doorway. “What’s wrong?” A stupid question, probably, but one she’s still compelled to ask.   
  
Lily has her arms wrapped around herself, curled inwards. “M-my dad, and my best friend Nel visited. I can’t...” she turns her head and coughs, petals floating down to the floor. “I don’t want to die, to leave them. My friend feels fucking guilty because he’s engaged and I don’t know if I’m even going to still be alive for the wedding.”  
  
Jess finds herself hugging the other girl without realizing it. “I’m so sorry,” she mutters into her hair as Lily sobs, occasionally choking on a flower.   
  
**  
  
They’re outside again, lying on their backs and staring up at the sky.   
  
“—so he’s thinking of taking her last name, because her dad is all weird and proud of their family, and I’m like, dude, you’re really gonna sign up to be Srebro? You want ‘bro’ in your last name?” Lily rambles, moving her arms in random directions above her face.   
  
Jess suddenly sits up, and has to pause to cough up some petals. “What did you just say?” She’s shivering, even though it’s warm outside.   
  
“What?” Lily sits up as well, frowning with concern. “His fiancé’s family name is Srebro. Why, do you know them?”  
  
Her throat feels thick, and she doubles over, coughing and gagging. Lily rubs her back and mummers soothing nonsense. When it’s done, Jess jerks away. “My creepy stalker ex, that’s his family name. Did you know him?”  
  
Placating, Lily holds up her hands. “First off, I’ve only met this girl like, twice. This place - and the disease - freaks her out. Secondly... oh my god.” Something dawns on her. “She did mention having some distant relation in jail, for being a creepy loser. Shit. Small world.”   
  
Jess watches her warily; heart rate still rocketing, but realizing she seems to be telling the truth, slowly relaxes. “...Yeah, small world.”  
  
***  
  
“Hey Jess, what would your patronus be?”  
  
“Probably a wolf. What about you?”  
  
“You nerd. Mine would be pusheen. Or a unicorn. Pusheenicorn.”  
  
“Oh my god.”  
  
***   
  
They’re watching movies in the auditorium, sitting in the back row and whispering mockery back and forth. They’re complaining about the food, swapping desserts. They’re going through group therapy, trying to learn how to fall out of love.  
  
Jess watches Lily glue her fingers together when they’re supposed to be making a craft. Lily watches Jess knit a ball of yarn into a snarled mess. Neither of them can figure out how to crochet.   
  
Time passes.   
  
***  
  
The holidays are especially dismal. The institute uses floorboard heaters that take forever to warm up, and smell of burning dust when they do. All decorations aim to be festive without hinting towards any particular faith, so as not to offend.   
  
Shopping, Lily discovers, is difficult when you can only do so online. Still, she thinks she’s got a winner in her present for Jess.   
  
They’re in the common room, drinking hot chocolate and eating commercially made shortbread, when the realization hits. “Shit,” Lily swears as she slams the mug on the table. “Do you even celebrate Christmas? Oh god I should’ve asked that before I got a present for you, shittt.”  
  
Jess throws her head back and laughs, gloriously free from the flowers for that moment, save for the marks on her skin. As she catches her breath, she’s still giggling. “My family is pagan, but the way we celebrate the solstice is basically like Christmas.” Jess smiles, the twinkle lights behind her making her eyes sparkle. “You’re fine.”  
  
Suddenly Lily can’t breathe. “Oh, good.” She manages to say, as her world slowly reorients itself.   
  
***  
  
The time leading up to the actual holidays itself is chaotic. Each hour, it feels like, is stuffed with some activity or diversion, to keep the residents in good cheer. Such is the state of things that they don’t actually get a chance to exchange presents before they go home.   
  
***  
  
“Hey Lily,” her dad says, while she's home visiting for the holidays. There's a horribly tentative hope on his face. “Are those petals different?”  
  
“Dad, please, I don’t want to talk about it. It doesn’t change anything.”  
  
***  
  
Lily can hear her heartbeat in her ears as she races down the hallway. Jess is coming back today. They kept in touch via text over the holidays, but it just isn’t the same. She skids to a stop outside Jess’ room, taking a moment to compose herself, before walking in. “Oh, hey—“ Lily starts to say, and then stops dead.   
  
Jess is lying, half on her bed, completely still. There are flowers spilling from her mouth.   
  
***  
  
“—lucky to have been found so quickly, though of course, it’s only a temporary reprieve...” an unfamiliar, professionally dry voice is saying.   
  
The world feels like it’s underwater. Her throat hurts, but her hand feels warm. She struggles to open her eyes, wincing at the brightness. The first thing Jess sees is Lily’s tear-filled face, which brightens when she sees Jess is awake.   
  
“Oh thank God you’re okay, you scared me, I was so sure—” Lily coughs, impatiently spitting out orange petals. “I thought you were dead.”  
  
“‘M okay,” Jess manages. “Are those...?”  
  
Lily smiles, still crying, uses her free hand to wipe away tears. “Yeah. They’re not white anymore. They’re tiger lilies. I...” She looks away. “There’s someone else." That she's fallen in love with. "But I still...” still have the disease.   
  
Jess weakly squeezes their joined hands. “It’ll be okay,” she lies, before drifting off again.   
  
***   
  
As Jess gets better, Lily gets worse. The disease becomes more aggressive. She can barely sleep, or eat, or talk. It seems as if there are petals constantly dripping from her mouth, like drool.   
  
They’re in the hospital ward, again, but this time Lily is the one in the bed. She’s lost weight, weight that she couldn’t afford to lose in the first place. Every now and then she has to take gasps from an oxygen tank. There’s an industrial sized garbage bin next to her bed, nearly filled to the brim with tiger lilies.   
  
Finally, they’re exchanging presents.  
  
“You go first,” Lily insists, her voice a thin rasp, throat scratched up by flora.   
  
Jess regards the present fondly. The wrapping job is terrible and haphazard, with way too much tape. She can’t wait to see what’s inside. It turns out to be a large plush wolf, with luxuriously soft fur. Around its neck is a hand-knit bandanna that’s the bi flag colours.  “I love it,” Jess says immediately, stroking her hand over the plush. It’s just so _soft_. “I love that you remembered.” Something occurs to her and she grins.   
  
“What is it?” Lily asks, but Jess just gestures for her to open the present.   
  
This one is wrapped much more nicely, with perfectly curled ribbons. Inside is a pusheenicorn, wearing a knit scarf that’s the pink, red, orange, and whites of the lesbian flag. Lily gasps and hugs it. “Best gift ever,” she rasps. And then she sees what Jess was smiling about. “Did you get the scarf from QUILTBAG Quilts on Etsy?”  
  
“Yep. And I’m guessing you did too.” Jess is grinning now, something warm fluttering in her stomach. The fact that they had the same idea for gifts - even down to the accessories...  
  
“Yes. Oh my god, that’s fantastic.” Lily honest-to-god cackles, which sets Jess off, which makes Lily laugh harder, until they’re both gasping for air. As their laughter peters off, they’re staring at each other with matching silly grins on their faces.   
  
It’s quiet save for the beeping of the heart monitor.   
  
Coming to a decision, Jess leans forward and kisses Lily, who kisses back enthusiastically. A moment later, Jess pulls back, resting their foreheads together. She’s searching the face of the other girl, because something is changing, shifting as she realizes—  
  
“I love you.” Jess whispers, as her throat clears and the flower marks fade from her face. As she watches, the marks also clear from Lily’s face.   
  
“I’ve loved you for months,” Lily starts to cry. “But you didn’t see me that way, and I was so scared—”  
  
And then they’re hugging, Jess rocking her back and forth, making shushing noises. “It’s okay. I’ve got you. I love you. It’s okay.” Because now it would be, now that they had each other.  
  
***  
  
EPILOGUE:  
  
The church smells like flowers. Jess grimaces, trying to remain in the present, trying not to associate the smell with death and sickness.   
  
As the wedding march starts to play, a murmur of anticipation runs through the gathered crowd. They turn, all at once, to watch as the wedding party begins their procession. Among them is Lily, in the role of Best Man. There’s a pink tiger lily pinned to her suit. When she notices Jess watching her adoringly, Lily winks and blows her a kiss.   
  
Being at the wedding is awkward for Jess, when she recognizes some people from her ill fated brush with the bride’s side, but it’s so worth it to watch Lily, standing proudly by her best friend’s side.   
  
Hours later, and they’re dancing together at the reception. “I still can’t believe she used tiger lilies as part of her flowers,” Jess is saying in an undertone, hoping it isn’t audible to anyone else over the music.   
  
Lily is grinning - has been smiling for hours. She’s just so happy for Nel, and also just happy to be here. “When we get married, there won’t be any flowers,” she says distractedly.   
  
“Did you just propose to me?” Jess stops, forcing Lily to stop as well.   
  
“...Noooooo. Just brought up the idea of us getting married for the first time. At my best friend’s wedding. Oh my god that’s so cliché, we can’t tell this to anyone.” Embarrassed, Lily ducks down and tried to hide herself in Jess’ cleavage, which is shaking slightly from how hard Jess is laughing.   
  
“Are you kidding? Nel is gonna find this hilarious. Besides,” she calms down slightly, smiling down at Lily. “We’ve got all the time in the world to figure it out.”

**Author's Note:**

> Got an idea you’d like me to write? Or just want to buy me a coffee? Check out my twitter account (@thegr8atuin) for more info!


End file.
